


I'm So Glad You're Mine

by trajektoria



Series: The Red Thread of Fate [3]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Fluff, Humor, Kid Scott, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Space Husbands, Wedding, Wedding Fluff, and fell in love as adults, scott is totally not a crybaby and he'll cry if you call him that, teen reyes, they met as kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-02-23 07:11:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13184964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trajektoria/pseuds/trajektoria
Summary: Young Sara teases Scott that he will never find a husband. Determined as they come, the little boy decides to prove her wrong. There can be only one outcome.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to [captainjennhart](http://captainjennhart.tumblr.com/) for beta'ing the fic! Your comments make my heart sing. 
> 
> I have no excuse, enjoy the fluff and sweetness *throws glitter and confetti around*

If there was one thing the Ryder twins truly excelled at, it was sneaking out. At the ripe age of six, they both already possessed a master thief’s level of cunning, which allowed them to slip away unseen from under their guardians’ watchful eyes. One would think that by this time everyone would have learned of the kids’ particular set of skills and adjusted their behavior accordingly, so as not to end up being duped.

Oddly enough, there were still those who underestimated the untamed children.

“Here you are,” said the salarian scientist, putting a stack of ancient-looking books in front of the youngest Ryders.

Scott and Sara, both sitting cross-legged on the floor of their room, regarded the books indifferently. Then they moved their gazes to their mother’s colleague, even more indifference painted on their faces.

“Ellen told me to watch over you for a while, but I’m in the middle of extremely important calculations, so please, be good human minors and behave. These books will help you pass the time and advance your knowledge simultaneously. In that way you can combine business with pleasure.” Having said this, the salarian blinked slowly, visibly content with his educational efforts, and then left the room, locking the door behind himself.

Sara and Scott exchanged glances. They didn’t even need to say anything. As if on cue, each picked a book from the stack.

“Hydronephrosis in the Course of Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction,” Scott read the title slowly, having difficulty stringing the words together. Sara didn’t fare much better.

“The Effect of Desflurane and Propofol Protocols on Preconditioning.”

They looked at one another, shrugged, and chucked the books casually behind their bunk beds. Scientific texts on an academic level were hardly interesting when you barely knew how to read.

“Field trip?” asked Sara, impish smirk on her face. Scott’s expression mirrored hers.

“Always.”

Operation Freedom commenced without delay. They jumped to their feet and sneaked towards the door. The lock had long since stopped being an obstacle.

Scott nodded, indicating that he was already on it. He fired up his omni-tool, a look of concentration on his face. All it took was pressing a few buttons and the door unlocked with a soft click. Amazing what an app illegally downloaded from their dad’s omni-tool could do.

Sara opened the door and they moved carefully into the corridor. The easiest part was behind them, now things were going to get a little more complicated. Nothing that two resourceful kids couldn’t manage though.

Walking down the corridor without making a sound, they approached the living room. Peeking carefully from around the corner, Scott’s chin on top of Sara’s head, they assessed the situation like a pair of little soldiers on a recon mission. Their temporary nanny sat on the couch, seemingly focused fully on his datapad and muttering to himself. Trying to get past him to the front door as it was would be too risky, they were aware of that. They needed a distraction.

A few other datapads were strewn over the table. Near them stood a mug full of steaming tea.

The Ryders smiled. It would be a shame if someone knocked it over onto the precious devices.

Sara, better at biotics than her brother, extended her hand and summoned her powers, giving the mug a gentle push. It was enough to make it fall over, the liquid spreading violently like a tsunami across the screens.

The salarian jumped up, hurling curses, most of them unfamiliar to the twins, as he tried to salvage what he could from his research. With their guardian occupied so thoroughly, sneaking into the hall was child’s play. The only thing standing between them and adventure was the entrance door. A problem easily dealt with. They didn’t even have to debate what to do, it was all so obvious.

Sara stood under the keypad. She gave Scott a boost, who with her help was able to reach to the buttons. They always made sure to memorize the codes whenever Dad changed them, just in case. Scott typed the right one without hesitation. The door unlocked.

The twins shared a smug, victorious smile. Together they were invincible.

A few minutes later they were both trotting down the busy streets of the Citadel. Several billion inhabitants, and yet the Ryders treated the station as their private playground. They could go everywhere, eavesdrop on people, play pranks on them and then disappear among the endless number of vents and alleys. But without a doubt, their favorite part was the Presidium. So many different species running their daily important errands. Thinking how big the universe was, from how many different corners of it all these people originated, made the twins’ heads spin. All the fancy clothes, noises, smells – a constant reminder how vast and incredible the galaxy was. The Ryders knew that one day they would see it all.

Presidium also had one other advantage. When the twins got tired of walking or playing, they could sit down on one of the benches among the trees with the best view and just enjoy the unparalleled beauty of their home station. And that was exactly what they did after a long march.

Two human men walked right in front of them, hand in hand, chatting and laughing. A little farther, a human woman approached a turian and they shared a kiss. By the railing of the terrace stood an asari, smiling brightly as she received a bouquet of flowers from an elcor with ‘sincere affection.’ Couples of different species and genders were everywhere around them. That’s when Scott remembered that it was Valentine’s Day. A human addition to the intergalactic list of holidays. The feast of lovers had quickly caught on among the council races. After all, love was universal, he supposed.

“Hey, Scotty,” said Sara, shifting her gaze from the kissing human couple. Her legs swung wildly above the ground, a clear sign that she was thinking deeply about something. “Do you think you will get married one day?”

Scott pondered upon the answer with all the gravitas the topic required.

“I don’t know. But I think yeah? And you?”

“Yeah, I think I will. I’m not sure who could be my husband, though.”

“Well, you need to find someone special like Mum and Dad,” Scott replied sagely.

“Yeah, I know. But who that would be? A turian? Or an asari? Oh, maybe a quarian! Or maybe another race, one that hasn’t been discovered yet! So many possibilities!” She sighed dreamily.

Scott looked at her in surprise.

“Only aliens? So you don’t want a human?”

“Of course not, humans are boring!” She scoffed at the ridiculousness of the idea. “And you? You’d like to have a human husband?”

“Hm… Yeah, I think so?” Scott said, biting on his thumb. “I mean, if I married a turian we would have to eat different things and I wouldn’t be able to steal his food.”

Sara nodded slowly at that, blown away.

“Huh. I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Nothing new, you don’t think often.” Scott grinned. Sara stuck out her tongue at him.

“You won’t ever find a husband anyway because no one would want to marry a crybaby like you!”

“I’m not a crybaby!” Scott cried out, his eyes watering.

“You are!”

“I’m not!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

The altercation ended with Scott having a proper wail and Sara earning a painful bruise on her shoulder, which caused her to go into a huff. The twins became mortal enemies and wallowed in hatred for about two minutes before they made up enough to start talking to each other again.

“I will get a husband, just you see.” Scott sniffed and wiped furiously at his eyes with his sleeve. The same sleeve which he then used to blow his nose into afterwards.

“I’ll believe you when I see him,” Sara snickered.

Scott gave her an offended look and pouted. It was a matter of pride now. He would find a husband or die trying. He’d show her that he wasn’t a crybaby and that he could get married, no big deal.

The boy looked around the Presidium, scanning for potential spouses. Everyone sadly looked far too adult for his taste. He couldn’t marry someone who might have been his dad, right?

Then he let out a surprised gasp. A big, smug smile appeared on his face.

“I can get a husband _right now_ ,” he announced with unwavering confidence.

“Don’t be silly.” Sara shook her head.

“I’m not. I’m serious.”

Sara gave him a strange look, but she must have noticed that he wasn’t pulling her leg.

“Okay, Scotty. Wanna bet?”

“Sure!”

“Strawberry jello.”

“Done!”

Scott jumped off the bench and skipped lightly towards his future husband. Intrigued, Sara went after him. She kept her distance, but not too much, not wanting to miss anything. This would be good.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoy writing tiny Scott, he's just the cutest. Kudos and comments are much appreciated.

Technically speaking, this was an improvement in his situation. In practice, it didn’t really feel like it.

Reyes put away the vent cover he’d just unscrewed and took a peek inside. His flashlight moved along the tangles of colorful cables. Impossible to assess what was wrong from here. He needed to crawl inside. Of course, he’d known that all along, but had still hoped otherwise. With a sigh, he lay on the floor and slipped into the vent, only his legs sticking out.

Being a junior technician brought him more credits than being a janitor, so he shouldn’t complain. One step closer to paying for that flying course and becoming a pilot. He might have… over-embellished his qualifications a bit though. What he described as formal technical training was in fact him reading through several manuals the night before the interview. But hey, he was a fast learner, he knew he’d be fine, he could do this kind of work blindfolded, no problem. Besides, one didn’t have to possess extensive technical knowledge to find a damaged cable and fix it, right?

“Hey!”

Focused on his task, Reyes ignored the commotion, put the flashlight between his teeth and reached for the cables.

“Hey! Sir!” The shout seemed louder and closer, but Reyes paid it no mind.

Aha, he found the fault – one of the cables bore small signs of teeth. A hungry space hamster on the loose perhaps? A little bit of omni-gel and everything would work like clockwork again.

“Hey!” An impatient shout followed closely by a sudden pat on Reyes’ shin.

Reyes yelped in surprise and jumped up on instinct, banging his head painfully against the low ceiling. He felt the impact even in his teeth as they ground against the flashlight. He spat it out with disgust.

“Oww, shit,” he muttered, crawling back through the vent, wiggling helplessly to speed up the process. He sat up, massaging the throbbing bump on his skull, understandably far from radiating love and happiness. His murderous glare fell upon blue puppy eyes glinting with undeterred enthusiasm.

“Hey!” The dreaded phrase was repeated once again, this time with the addition of a billion credit smile.

Reyes narrowed his eyes at the small human boy in front of him. Kid or not, Reyes was seriously considering a good yell and whipping his ass for the stunt he had just pulled. Strangely enough the child didn’t seem frightened by his less than friendly demeanor and wasn’t running away as he should after pulling a prank. And somehow he looked so familiar…

Then it clicked.

“Storage kid,” Reyes said, his well-earned rage subsiding to a manageable level. How long had it been? Two weeks or so? He hadn’t thought he’d see the tiny biotic ever again. What were the odds with 12 billion people living on the Citadel? “Did you make that girl – your sister, right? – fly with your singularity?”

“Yeah!” he replied, puffing out his chest. “But she used _throw_ at me in return and I lost a tooth.” The boy opened his mouth wide and pulled out his cheek to show an empty spot on the bottom right side where a molar should be. Another gap added to the collection.

“Okay…” Reyes had never been so glad that he didn't have any siblings.

“What are you doing?” the kid asked curiously.

“I’m fixing the cables. Easy job, far too minor to catch the keepers’ attention. I can handle it.”

“Cool!” There was something in the way the kid looked at him, some kind of unabashed admiration, that made Reyes feel as if he really was doing something important. It was a nice feeling. He smiled at him.

“Well then, what are you doing here? Where are your parents?” Reyes looked around, not seeing any adults in the vicinity who might have been the boy’s guardians. All he could see was a suspicious little girl about the brat’s age, hiding not very successfully behind one of the benches and observing them intently. The family resemblance was so obvious that she had to be the kid’s sister or at least a cousin. Reyes had a feeling that she was the one who knocked that tooth out. Another tiny biotic. Wow.

“I wanted to ask you something.” The kid’s voice pulled Reyes out of his reverie. It didn’t escape his attention that the kid was dodging his question. Heh.

“Okay, shoot.”

The boy grinned, looking as if he could burst from excitement any second now.

“Will you marry me?”

Reyes blinked. He must have misheard. All these people and noises all around them.

“What?”

The kid gave a slight eye roll as if Reyes was stupid. “Will you be my husband?” he repeated.

Nope. No misunderstandings.

Reyes was used to all kinds of crazy. You had to be if you spent your entire life among the seediest places the Citadel had to offer. And yet this kid managed to totally fry his brain. He was practically paralyzed while the boy stared at him expectantly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Finally, after what seemed like two eternities mashed together, Reyes gathered enough wits to find his voice again and reply.

“Aren’t you a little small to be thinking of marriage?” he said carefully.

“I’m not small!” The boy huffed in protest, clearly offended, and straightened his meager posture to appear taller.

“Young. I meant young,” amended Reyes, barely stopping himself from groaning. Ugh, kids. With each passing minute he felt more and more like the protagonist of one of those dumb sitcom vids.

“Oh, we don’t have to marry _now_. I can wait,” he said graciously.

“That’s… thoughtful of you.” Was this some kind of joke? It had to be. But he’d expect the kid to giggle or somehow show his amusement. But no, he remained dead serious, which made everything even more bizarre. “Why do you even want to marry in the first place?”

“Why not?”

Well, how can you argue with logic like that?

“And why me of all people?”

“Because you’re not old. And I like you.”

“You know nothing about me, kid.” Reyes shook his head, his expression grim. If the kid knew even a half of what Reyes was really like he'd be running away as fast as his short legs could carry him.

“I do!” he insisted stubbornly, putting his foot down. “You were nice to me so that makes you a good person and I want to marry you.”

That really took Reyes by surprise and he wasn't able to entirely suppress a smile. Oh the blissful innocence of youth. A luxury that was never given to him. But hell, he had never been pegged for a good person before, so he wouldn’t complain. Especially since the look on the kid’s face was so earnest. He really believed that. It made Reyes’ chest swell a little.

Perhaps this whole marriage thing was just some weird version of playing house with his sister. Oh well, whatever. It didn’t mean anything anyway, he could play along.

“Okay. I’ll marry you.”

“Really?” The kid’s eyes became rounder and lit up like a billion stars.

“Yeah. Hit me up in, like, fifteen years and I’m yours. Just remember to bring some nice rings.”

“Cool!” The kid dashed towards him, gave him a brief hug—wrapping his arms around Reyes’ neck—and then ran off towards the girl. All of that in barely three seconds. The kid was a hurricane of energy. Reyes wondered who he'd grow up to be.

He watched with interest how the kids interacted. The boy said something to the girl, who had emerged from behind the bench, while pointing emphatically at him. The girl stared. Acting on some silly impulse, Reyes lifted his hand and waved to her. She then nodded to the other kid, looking quite impressed. The boy laughed and Reyes could swear that he heard him saying “jello”. Then they froze, apparently having seen someone in the crowd, and promptly skedaddled. Just moments later, a turian in a C-Sec uniform appeared right in the place previously occupied by the siblings, looking around attentively.

Reyes shook his head, smiling to himself. Kids these days... What the hell had even happened? Was he really just wooed by a six-year-old? Not a single boring day on the Citadel.

The distraction was nice, but he needed to get back to work. Once again, he lay down on the ground and crawled into the narrow vent.

Marriage. What a ridiculous idea. No, he knew that he definitely wasn’t the marrying type. He couldn’t imagine any reason why would he want to tie himself to someone like that, willingly attach a ball and chain of misery to his ankle. Thanks but no thanks. He was fine on his own; he could survive just fine without relying on anyone. Love? Pfft. It didn’t exist. Just mutual interests, nothing more. Love was something that happened in cheesy vids. And even if it did exist, he wasn't interested. It was a weakness, simple as that. And Reyes wouldn’t allow himself to be weak, never again. He had to survive. He had to become someone.

Who needed love anyway?

 _Sorry, kid_ , he thought. _Hopefully one day you’ll find someone who loves you._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very sweet ending to a sweet story. I plan on writing another part of this series in which Scott and Reyes find out about their past relationship so stay tuned! Comments and kudos are much appreciated.

“Reyes Vidal, do you take Scott Ryder to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and cherish him from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part? If so, say, _I do_.”

It wasn’t an orthodox wedding, but they wouldn’t want it any other way. The ceremony took place in the Tartarus, which had closed down for the night, letting only a select few inside for the small, private event. All the guests – the Tempest crew, Kian, Keema and a couple of Reyes’ closest associates – had gathered in a room on the second floor. The very one in which Reyes liked to hang out and conduct business. Now it had been refurbished beyond recognition. The terminal and the furniture had been removed, save for a small table acting as substitute for an altar. All over the room were colorful balloons, white ribbons and paper garlands put there by Sara and Suvi, both of whom had no concept of moderation.

Reyes didn't care. He barely paid any attention to what was around him. Even the voice of Cora, who was officiating the ceremony, seemed to be coming to him from far away. His full attention was on the man in front of him.

Scott Ryder. The human Pathfinder. Unusually not in his armor, but in a borrowed suit with sleeves that were a little too short. It didn’t matter though. He would look perfect in rags.

“I do,” said Reyes, his voice quivering ever so slightly as he tried in vain to rein in his emotions. He took the wedding ring from Liam and slipped it on Scott’s finger. It belonged there, almost as if it had always been there. Reyes smiled and so did Scott, his eyes welling up. They glistened like stars above Kadara Port. He had never been more beautiful, so radiant and happy.

They held hands as Cora went on.

“Scott Ryder, do you take Reyes Vidal to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and cherish him from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part? If so, say, _I do_.”

Reyes waited for the words, his pulse deafening in his ears. He didn’t doubt, he didn’t think that the promise would be abandoned, that this whole thing would end before it even began and yet the nerves, the dryness in his throat…

“I do. He's someone to me,” Scott said and a wave of relief and affection swept through Reyes' whole body. They smiled – they had done little else the whole day – as the matching band found its way to his finger.

“You may now kiss the groom.”

Scott wrapped his arms around Reyes’ neck just as Reyes snaked his own around his waist in turn. Their bodies pressed flush against one another, they kissed with a frenzy as though they hadn’t seen each other for months. The kiss went on and on, gaining heat and meaning, cementing their union. A kiss between lovers starved for one another’s touch.

People all around them started coughing and clearing their throats good-naturedly in an exaggerated manner. Umi’s exasperated shout of “Get a room” earned her a few laughs.

Reyes pulled away. He had eyes only for Scott. Scott, breathless, his skin reddened, his eyes crinkling with joy. Beautiful. He had to kiss him again. This time shorter, with a playful bite on his lip. Scott understood and grinned.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, the newlyweds accepted wishes and congratulations from their gathered friends.

“Look at you. My baby brother all grown up and married,” said Sara, wiping her eyes not as discreetly as she probably hoped. She had been blubbering into a tissue the whole ceremony.

“Who’s the crybaby now?” Scott teased, even though his own eyes weren’t particularly dry either.

“Shut up.” She gave her twin a rib-crushing hug before doing the same to Reyes. “Hurt my idiot brother and you’ll end up as pyjak’s chow.”

“I will only hurt him if he begs for it and handcuffs are involved,” Reyes assured her, exchanging glances with Scott, who groaned, not without amusement.

“Oh, I know he likes being bitten.” She flashed them a smile. “He once had this boyfriend who–”

“Sara…”

“Riiight. Exes are probably not the best topic during a wedding.”

“Not really, no.”

The rest of the exchanges followed without incident. There was a lot of laughing, some embarrassment when Keema informed Scott that Reyes behaved like a ‘lovesick puppy’ after meeting him, but heartfelt moments prevailed as their friends wished them all the best. Only Jaal caused a little unpleasant sensation when he stood in front of Reyes and spoke with his usual directness.

“I never liked you.” Reyes’ heart sank. Not for his own sake, but for Scott’s. He didn’t deserve to have any drama on his wedding day, especially not coming from one of his closest friends. But before anyone could intervene, more words followed. “I never thought that you were particularly… steadfast, and that quality is very important to the angara. But I think I was wrong. You care about Scott and you have been dependable… so far. I think that maybe you are worthy of him after all.”

“Such a compliment. Careful or I might cry,” Reyes said, smiling. “Someone pinch me because I think I’m dreaming.” Jaal was all too happy to oblige, a tight hug following right after the pinch.

“Okay, the boring part’s over. Let’s party!” Peebee shouted, which was met with an outburst of enthusiasm.

Reyes didn’t remember much from that night. Everything was a blur of neon lights, dancing and alcohol. Lots of alcohol. He recalled a karaoke competition which he won and for some reason giving Scott a piggyback ride while his husband yelled something about a train. Or a trail? Didn’t matter. Then, of course, there was a lot of kissing as well. The night was a blast.

When he woke up the next day on one of the couches, groggy and worn-out, he was among the first back in the land of living. The Tartarus was silent like never before. One might have concluded that it was abandoned, if it weren’t for a choir of snores coming from random places in the club. Reyes ran fingers through his messed-up hair and looked around at their friends curled up on every relatively flat surface.

He wanted to sit up but found that impossible. Something was weighing him down. Something... or someone.

Smiling, he gazed at Scott sleeping with his head resting on his chest. The Pathfinder was out cold, probably from having far too much to drink. Reyes couldn’t stop himself from petting his head. Scott Ryder, his husband. He couldn’t believe it. It felt unreal. But good, so good.

“ _Reyes?_ ” SAM’s voice suddenly cut through his musings.

“Yes?”

“ _Should I call you Reyes Ryder from now on?_ ”

Reyes chuckled hearing that. It did have a nice ring to it, he had to admit that.

“I think we’re going to stick to our original surnames. Less hassle.”

“ _Then why did you get married in the first place?”_

“Why not?”

How could you argue with logic like that? SAM apparently could.

“ _Isn’t marriage just a formalization of an already existing relationship for the purpose of the law?_ ”

“No, SAM.” Reyes shook his head, his fingers gently massaging Scott's scalp. “It’s much more than that. I’m the luckiest man in the cluster.”

“I think that title is already taken,” Scott piped up suddenly, lifting his head and giving a sleepy smile. The most beautiful sight Reyes had ever seen.

“I think we can share it then,” he said, pulling his husband into a tender kiss, more meaningful than a thousand I-love-yous.

 


End file.
